A second is all it takes
by NCISchick
Summary: so very much can happen in just a second of time. some times good, sometimes bad...and sometimes sad.


**A/N. okay…longest Castle (and second) story I have written...2 Castle in one day…aren't you lucky. This is a longish one shot. And a lot different from what I normally write. Also, anyone who knows me well will probably be quite shocked at this story. It's not like me at all. Any way…I just needed to get some stuff off my chest and this is how I did it.**

**p.s. Character death….I'm sorry, if you hate me for it. It's just that, I've had this on my chest for ages, and needed to get it out. Again, I'm sorry if it makes you upset, but please do read it.**

**Dedicated to my amazing friends Hallow777 MyBoyGeorge ****Crimelover11**** Gibby101 VivaLaTiva Moolol JPNCIS SweetlilLoz Banana7Pancakes and everyone else who makes my life amazing! I love you guys all and really don't know what I would do with out you. So thank you for making me laugh, making me cry, making me smile on the worst of days and most importantly, always being there to make sure I am okay.**

**Disclaimer: what do you think? Of course it's not mine!**

She sits at the computer….staring off into space. The Boy's both know that look, and they know not to bug her when she has that look. She is remembering him. Their best friend, the man who could make them smile on the darkest of days, who loved his mother and daughter so much, and their baby sister, Kate even more. They look down at her hands; see she's playing with the ring on her finger, her engagement ring. The ring that she received just hours before their lives were turned up side down, never to be the same again.

_12 months earlier._

_Kate waltzed into work that morning, the smile on her face never leaving. She was on top of the world, nothing could bring her down. She practically danced to her desk, giving the boys a cheery "good morning." As she started up her computer._

_It wasn't until they saw something reflect in the light that the noticed the ring on her finger, and it was a matter of seconds before they both exclaimed loudly "HOLY COW! Is that a…" they never got to finish their sentence as at that moment, Kate's phone rang. _

"_Beckett." She answered. The smile was gone in a flash. They boys were by her side in a second, her face turning pale white as if she had seen a ghost as she listened to the person at the other end. _

"_Beckett, what's wrong?" Ryan asked, scared to know the answer. _

"_Becks?" Esposito questioned as she tears started to run down her face. _

"_Kate." Both boys queried as they to paled. Beckett hung up the phone and fell apart crying. Javi pulled her into a hug, as Ryan took off for the Captains office. _

"_He's gone." Kate cried into Javi's chest. _

"_Katie, who's gone." Deep down inside, he already knew the answer, and didn't want to believe it for one second. _

"_Rick." Was all Kate got out before she started to cry even harder. _

_They later found out it was a drunk driver who had caused the accident, Rick had taken the full force of the hit, when he'd been on his way in to the precinct. They were all devastated. Kate took over a month off of work, to upset to set foot in the precinct, saying it brought back to many memories. _

_The Boys had gone with Kate to tell Alexis. They arrived at the teens school in the crown vic, Kate sitting silently in the passengers seat as Ryan drove. The moment they told Lex will be one they will never forget. Tears rolled down all their faces, they were not afraid to show how it had affected them too, they were best friends with the man, he had been grooms men at both their weddings, and he had already promised them they would be at his._

_The rest of the day was spent at the loft, Kate retreated to their room, not speaking much at all, Javi found her a few hours later, lying on the bed, wearing one of Ricks shirts, hugging his pillow and crying. He simply took her in his arms, and rocked her until she fell asleep. He stayed with her as she slept, waking in tears every few hours because of dreams, hoping that the day had just been a nightmare, but when she saw she was resting against Javi, she realized it really wasn't, the love of her life was gone, her one and done. _

_Never again was she going to get to wake up with his arm wrapped around him, or be taken spontaneously out to dinner, just because he could. Never again would he call her his Girl, never again would he and Alexis have laser tag wars as she yelled out to be careful while reading the latest chapter of his next book. Never again would he write Nikki and Rook's cat and mouse game, that anyone who really knew the pair would tell you it was all real. Never again will she be able to turn to him during a tough case just for a hug. Never again will he say he loves her. Never again will she be able to smile because of some crazy theory he made up. Never again, will her life be the same._

_She is ripped apart inside. She doesn't know what to do. Javi stays with her until she falls into a deep sleep, exhaustion taking over the tears. He carefully extracts himself from her embrace, lying her down and placing a blanket on top, he heads out to check on the others, he has to stay strong for Kate. She is like a baby sister to him, and he will do anything he has to, to keep her safe. _

_Hours pass before she finally comes out of their room, she looks round, eyes puffy and red, pale as a ghost, she sees Ryan and Jenny sitting on the couch, holding each other, tears running down Jenny's face, and a few down Ryan's. On the TV is Rick's favorite movie, __Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Lanie, is curled up on the other chair, sleeping, but with tear tracks running down her face. She sees Martha sitting in the dining room, with her Dad, the two talking in low voices, both as to not disturb the others and because they didn't know if they could speak any louder with out their voices cracking and the tears starting again. _

_The one person Kate couldn't find was Alexis, and she knew exactly where she would be. Heading up the stairs, she walked pasted the teens room, then Martha's and the bathroom and guest bedroom, right to the last door on the right. _

_Walking in, she found the young woman who she considered a daughter, curled up on the large couch on the other side of the room, facing out to the City, blanket wrapped around her. Her small form shaking softly as the tears fell freely. Totally unaware that Kate had walked in. _

_Walking slowly as to not scare the fragile girl, she comes around the side of the couch, sees the tear tracks running down Lex's face, it break her heart even more to know the pain the girl is going through. She sees she got a photo album in her hands, is looking through all the photos from when she was young and as she grew up. _

_Placing her hand on the young girls arm, she gently stroked the arm, as if to reassure her that she was there for her. Alexis looked up at the woman who she felt was more like a mum then her real mother, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Kate pulls her into a hug, the two of them fall apart crying, for the loss of the man they both loved with all their hearts. The man they would never see alive again._

The following days were a blur, filled with tears, people offering condolences, and more tears. The papers ran a double spread on the life of Richard Castle, Fans flogged to sites on the net to pay respect, Twitter crashing from all the tweets his page was getting, Facebook pages set up to honor him, Alexis's wall filling with her friends saying they were so sorry to hear and they were there for her no matter what. The_ precinct__ feeling like a ghost town, everyone solemn like they had lost one of their own. Really, they had, Rick was as much a member of the team as the rest of them, and all the cops wore black bands on their badges and arm, in a sign of respect. _

_The funeral, although kept private, was sill massive, the fans held a memorial service the same day, tears fell freely as they all said their final goodbyes to a man they all loved. All of their family and friends cried, for the man they all loved and missed. The place was full of cops, from all over the city. Agent Shaw and her team flew in to pay their respects, Shaw shocked that it was even happening. Kate, Alexis and Martha stuck together all day, the boy's Caption, Lanie and Jenny always near buy incase of everything. _

_It wasn't until later that day when they were back home that it really hit home for Kate, she had walked in the door, taken off her jacket and shoes, then called out "Rick I'm home." It was then she realized what had happened, and then she fell apart, collapsing on the entry way floor, tears running down her face, Lanie was the first to get to her, tears running down her face at seeing her best friend like this. She pulled the girl into a hug and just held her as she cried. Never letting go for even a second. It killed her to see her girl like this. The tough cop, broken and missing the love of her life. Watching it set in, that he's never going to be there to greet her again._

The Boy's watched on as Kate hastily wiped the tears off her face. The lost and heartbreak clear on her face. The longing to talk to him, hold him, tell him she loved him, obvious for anyone to see. It was a year that he was gone, a year of waking up to the other side of the bed being empty, a year of going to his grave every week to talk to him and tell him how much she missed him. A year of everyday looking at her engagement ring and knowing she will never get to say "I do." A year of not hearing him say "I Love You. Stay safe." Everyday as she left for work. And a year of not being able to reply. "I Love You too." As she kissed him and walked out the door on the way to keep the City safe from the murderers in the world.

**A/N. okay. So I sat at my computer and wrote this through tears. It was a mixture of sadness from the story, and needing to get a lot of crap off my chest and this was a good reason to cry. I am sorry if I make any of my wonderful readers cry, but, it would mean the world to me if you did write a review as it may help me feel a lot better. **

**Love NCISchick xooxoxo**


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